In the Champions League Group G fifth round, Bangla Cricket Live reported that Chelsea secured an emphatic 4-0 away victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv. Gary Cahill opened the scoring, Willian struck a trademark free kick, while Oscar and Kurt Zouma also found the net. To make matters worse for the hosts, defender Tal Ben Haim was shown a red card before halftime, leaving Maccabi with ten men for the rest of the match.

The game began brightly for the Israeli side. In just the 2nd minute, Ben Haim delivered a cross from the right that Peretz met with a header, narrowly missing the target. Five minutes later, César Azpilicueta surged into the box and curled a left-footed effort just wide of the top corner. Chelsea struck first in the 20th minute when Willian’s corner found Cahill in the six-yard area. His header was saved onto the post, but he pounced on the rebound to slot into an empty net, handing Chelsea a 1-0 lead. Soon after, Diego Costa attempted an acrobatic overhead kick but couldn’t keep it on target. The turning point came in the 41st minute when Ben Haim committed two reckless fouls on Costa in quick succession and was sent off, giving Chelsea a numerical advantage.

Despite being reduced to ten men, Maccabi tried to respond after the break. In the 50th minute, Dasa broke through on the right with a half-chance but saw his powerful strike parried away by Asmir Begović. Chelsea quickly regained control. Eden Hazard tested the keeper after intercepting a loose clearance in the 62nd minute, and moments later Baba Rahman’s pinpoint cross allowed Azpilicueta to unleash a fierce angled shot that was denied on the goal line.

Chelsea doubled their lead in the 73rd minute when Willian curled a stunning free kick around the wall and into the bottom corner, making it 2-0. Just four minutes later, Baba Rahman again turned provider with a cross from the left, and Oscar rose highest to power home a header for 3-0. In stoppage time, Oscar’s corner was met by Zouma, whose header was partially saved before bouncing into the net, sealing the 4-0 rout.

For Chelsea, the win was more than just a confidence boost—it lifted them to the top of the group on goal difference. However, with Porto losing to Dynamo Kyiv in the other fixture, qualification was not yet secured. José Mourinho’s men still needed to battle Porto in the final round to guarantee progress. As Bangla Cricket Live summarized, Chelsea may have cruised past Maccabi, but their Champions League campaign was far from over, with one last decisive showdown looming.